Autumn Colours Peak in Big Tree Country as Leaves Reach ‘Instagram Maximum’
Dunkeld and Birnam at full orange. Visitors asked to look up from phones at least once.
Autumn at its finest, briefly unphotographed. Photo: Stevanhogg, “The Hermitage Dunkeld Scotland (7)”, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Autumn colour in Perthshire’s Big Tree Country has reached what experts call “Instagram Maximum”, with leaves around Dunkeld and Birnam turning a shade one visitor called “so orange it looks fake, but it’s not, I checked”.
With dry, mild weather forecast, visitors are expected in numbers, many walking slowly backwards along paths to get the perfect shot. Local walkers have asked them to “look where they’re going, occasionally”.
The Hermitage’s Black Linn Falls were reported to be “giving it laldy”, and the trees were described by a ranger as “absolutely showing off”.
Catch the colours before Sunday night’s frost, after which the leaves will be on the ground, on your shoes and in your car until March.
The real story: Perth forecast (Met Office)
Letters to the Editor
The views expressed are those of the reader, and frankly that's on them.
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It’s been there 500 years. It can handle a few selfies.
— Rhona T., Birnam, 29 October 2026 -
The tree has more followers than the council. Deservedly.
— Duncan M., Dunkeld, 29 October 2026
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